Legacy of Slaughter
by MechaUltimaZero
Summary: I recently learned that Sentry killed Carnage. So I wrote this tribute to him - his symbiote lives on, and takes a number of new hosts. Each "What If...?" styled one-shot explores a different option. First: Hulk. Later on: Cap, Ms. Marvel, Deadpool, etc.
1. Beyond the Incredible

Legacy of Slaughter

_Beyond the Incredible_

**I recently learned that Carnage was evidently killed by the Sentry. Yes, I do realize that I am INCREDIBLY behind the times, and I don't actually get to read that much in the way of comics. Even so, Carnage was one of my absolute favorite characters, therefore his demise is unacceptable. However, I then learned that symbiote fragments survived re-entry and are at large, if dormant. This fanfic is a farewell tribute to badass motherfucker Cletus Kasady, and a series of "What If…?"-style one-shots, in each of which the Carnage symbiote bonds with somebody new. Also, this chapter is kinda set during an AU Civil War.**

Above the Earth's atmosphere, as Sentry prepared to rip Carnage in two, the serial killer used up the remaining air collected by his symbiote as he said, **"Heh… You won't ever be rid of me, you know that? Even if you kill Cletus Kasady, I'll still be around to wreak chaos and carnage across the entire damned planet. If you want to kill me and make sure I stay killed, you'd better throw me into the damned sun!"**

Sentry, disgusted at the psychopath's monologue, commanded, "Shut the fuck up!"

And as the monstrous murderer was torn apart, he appeared to be laughing, as though he'd somehow been triumphant in death.

_**Legacy of Slaughter**_

Bruce Banner was sleeping in the Arizona desert, albeit in the form of the Hulk. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been hunting him for quite some time, and he hadn't been given sufficient time to calm down over the past couple of weeks. When he groggily awoke, Banner found himself fully lucid, despite looking down at his hand and finding it to be of the Hulk's musculature. However, he was snapped to full awareness when he realized that his body felt larger than normal – even for the Hulk – and he was covered in a red-and-black substance, complete with a peculiar yellow radiance in his chest.

Rapidly getting to his feet, Banner ran to a nearby lake, gamma-irradiated heart pumping at well over a hundred and fifty beats per minute. Upon reaching the water's edge, Bruce was at once horrified and intrigued by his new appearance: he had the same build as the Hulk, but now greatly resembled a villain he'd once fought alongside Spider-Man. What was that name again? Ah yes, that's right, the serial killer named Carnage.

Banner was preparing to see if he could revert to his human form, but was interrupted by nearby gunshots, followed by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Maria Hill's voice on a megaphone, shouting, "You can't hide forever, Hulk! This is your last chance to either register, or turn yourself in quietly! I am authorized to use lethal force to bring you down if I have to!"

Irritated with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest attempt to corner him, Banner was nonetheless surprised to find himself calm. Clearly, a symbiote had somehow found and bonded itself to him, and not only allowed him to retain his human faculties as the Hulk, but enabled him to keep a mostly cool head, too.

Since, evidently, he was now in control, Banner grinned savagely, before running in the direction of Hill's voice. Noting that he was moving well over five times faster than before, Banner's monstrous, toothy grin became all the more monstrous, before leaping forward, and actually overshot the helicarrier.

Wanting to make a solid impact, the Carna-Hulk reached out towards the _Pegasus_, and was surprised to find a massive tendril shoot out at his target and latch on, before Banner came to his senses and yanked himself towards the massive aerial base, inadvertently pulling _it_ towards _him_ as well.

Unlike her predecessor, Nick Fury, Commander Hill was _not_ capable of keeping a clear head under just about any situation. And when the _Pegasus_ sharply lurched backwards and to the left without any kind of warning whatsoever, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. instantly went from painfully smug to terrified, though she was able to hide it by merely acting irritated.

"The hell was that? Get me a damage report ten minutes ago! Is there any indication that the Hulk did that?"

Reed Richards ran a quick diagnostic, crunched some numbers, and said, "I'm not certain what did it, but we were _pulled_ just now, not _punched_, so it wasn't the Hulk. I'm working on the precise cause now, and I'll get back to you when I have more data."

Suddenly, however, screams of terror and pain could be heard coming from within the corridor outside the bridge, and all agents instantly drew their weapons. The registered heroes present also prepared for combat – Iron Man brought his repulsors to full charge, Hawkeye readied his bow, Mockingbird readied her staff, and Bishop also prepared to let loose an energy blast.

There was absolute, terrifying silence for nearly a minute, until _something_ effortlessly kicked down a door that even Iron Man wasn't able to punch through in one hit. A number of the lower-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were instantly killed by the shrapnel, and the helicarrier trembled slightly as the dust from the minor explosion cleared, an enormous monster's silhouette gradually becoming visible.

Everyone gasped, taking the creature's massive musculature to indicate the Hulk, but Tony Stark told everyone surviving to hold their fire. In response, a truly monstrous voice said, _**"That's the first smart thing you've done all month, Tony."**_

Though heavily distorted, Mr. Fantastic was still able to recognize the speaker. "Bruce? Is… that you?"

"_**You're half-right, Richards. You guys have been hunting me down relentlessly, when I haven't done anything to impede you. All I wanted was some peace and quiet. But no, Tony 'I-Know-What's-Right-And-Anyone-Who-Thinks-Different-Is-A-Criminal' Stark and his lackeys wouldn't let me be. You morons have pissed me off for the last time."**_

Hill asked, "Is that a threat, Banner?"

Now, however, his complete form was visible – he essentially resembled a mostly-crimson Venom, though with the musculature and height of the Hulk. Jeeringly, Banner shouted, _**"Ooh, look at the big brain on **__**PUPPET**__**! But it's not a threat. It's a fact. I remember hearing that Sentry killed that psychopath Carnage. And I never thought that someone calling himself a hero would kill someone, even someone as sociopathic as Cletus Kasady. Just a little FYI, I'm no longer just the Hulk – I'm the new Carnage, too. I'm the Carna-Hulk, and any of you still here in the next ten seconds are DEAD!"**_

Mr. Fantastic challenged, "You tried to make the Hulk into a hero, didn't you? Are you going back on that? Are you willing to let everyone think of you as a monster now?"

Bruce was silent for a second or two before he replied, _**"I met your kid, Franklin, once. He's a good kid. So get out, Reed, this is your only warning. I'd rather not leave him without a dad, much less make Sue a widow. And again, anyone else who'd prefer to be with their family right now, take your chance and leave. But those who put jailing me – a guy who just wants to be left the hell alone – as a higher priority than taking down **_**REAL**_** monsters like, say, HYDRA or Zzzax, well… you deserve what's coming."**_

With this ultimatum, the Carna-Hulk stood entirely still for another three seconds, although his symbiotic suit shifted a bit. Just as he was about to begin counting down, three of the superheroes on the bridge stood down and left – Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and curiously enough, Wade Wilson.

Incredulous, Iron Man shouted, "Deadpool, where the hell are you going? You don't have a family!"

The Crimson Comedian turned and spoke, and much to everyone's alarm, he actually sounded… _sane_ this time.

"_There is a very short list of people who scare the shit out of me – people that even _**I'm**_ not bat-shit crazy enough to fight if I can help it. People like Galactus, Odin, Ego the Living Planet, The Living Tribunal, Basch fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca, Kamina, and Shinji Ikari's hot mom in her Evangelion form. Bruce Banner, as the Hulk, is also on that list. Oh, sure, I'll brawl with him now and again, but if he actually wants me dead, then hell no! And then there's the other half of today's Monster of the Week, the Carnage symbiote. While the first Carnage was not at all on that list, he nonetheless was an absolute pain in the ass to fight, I'll tell you that. You're such a fucking math wiz, Tony, I'll give you a simple equation to crunch: pain-in-the-ass-enemy + Incredible-Fucking-Hulk =/= a happy Deadpool with high morale. I'm getting the fuck out while the getting's good, as should anybody with even half a bit of sense. Except you, Hill, you're a total bitch. I swear, even when I hit on Elektra and the Black Widow, _THEY_ don't try to shoot me in the head, OR the crotch. Banner, if you're anything like the old Carnage, then would you do me a favor?"_

Incredibly surprised by Deadpool's lucidity, the Carna-Hulk asked, _**"What's the favor?"**_

Pointing a finger at Maria Hill, Deadpool answered, _"Please, eat that bitch. Or make her your bitch, I don't care. Actually, do the second one instead, it'll be funnier for me to look back and laugh on."_

Having made this plea for vengeance, Deadpool got the hell out of dodge via teleportation, graciously giving Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket a ride.

Bruce began laughing out loud at what had just happened, before saying, _**"It's a sad, sad day indeed when freaking DEADPOOL has more common sense than the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Iron Man combined. Now then, since nobody else has thought to leave while Deadpool was talking, nor while I am now, I'm going to assume that everyone still here is ready to die. Except you, Hill, I think I'm going to humor Deadpool this time. If nothing else, it'll be an interesting change of pace."**_

Maria now was as terrified as she'd ever been, while Stark let fly a flurry of ten repulsor blasts, hoping to at least knock Banner out of the ship and give enough time for him to escape with Commander Hill, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird, but went wide-eyed beneath his helmet when he found that Bruce had barely moved six inches.

"_**Don't you remember when you teamed up with Spider-Man against the first Carnage? With the exception of fire and high-frequency sonics, symbiotes ABSORB energy. They – no, WE DEVOUR ENERGY. All you did was seal your fate, dumbass."**_

Tony instantly caught his mistake, realizing that he _really_ should've paid more attention to Peter and not just blown it off like he had.

Before he could reconfigure his repulsors, however, Carna-Hulk flicked his wrist, clogging them with crimson ooze. Then, in almost the same movement, Banner ran up and grabbed Iron Man's torso, massive right hand taking an excellent grip, before slowly crushing the life from the man once called 'Invincible'.

Clint Barton, having been paying attention to the part about fire and sonics, grabbed a flashbang arrow. Sadly for him, however, Banner was warned well in advance by his newly acquired Spider-Sense, so he shot a glob of webbing at Hawkeye's hand, rendering the reformed archer unable to let fly his arrow, causing it to explode in his face.

Knowing well how to minimize the damage he'd suffer, Banner drew the symbiote into himself, essentially becoming just the regular Hulk.

Observing that, Mockingbird sarcastically thought to herself, _Yeah, JUST the regular Hulk. Like that's not bad enough…_

Nonetheless, the Hulk wound up being the one least effected by the small explosion, alongside Iron Man. Taking advantage of that, Bruce reached back and threw Iron Man at Hawkeye so hard that the Pro-Reg archer was crushed between Stark's armor and the helicarrier bulkhead.

Then, once the soundwaves from the flashbang died down sufficiently, Banner re-summoned the symbiote, once again becoming the Carna-Hulk, and latched onto Bobbi Morse with a tendril, yanked her over, and then merely curled his hand into a fist, slowly crushing her to death.

Iron Man had, by this point, gotten to his knees, but his repulsors were still clogged up, and he'd suffered too much damage to fire the unibeam. Still, the genius inventor didn't know when to give up, and he began charging at Carna-Hulk, attempting to bring him down with brute force – which deep down, he knew would have zero effect.

Throughout all this, Commander Hill had been shooting the Carna-Hulk with her sidearm, not that it did any good.

Tony, engaging full afterburners, flew at maximum speed, hoping to at least get a good hit on the Carna-Hulk.

"_**That's it, Stark. Come on, rush to your doom."**_

And, aided by both Spider-Sense and insane reflexes, Banner caught Iron Man by the helmet, and just like Mockingbird moments before, crushed him like an ant.

By this point, Hill was now the only S.H.I.E.L.D. agent still on the ship. She tried shooting at the Carna-Hulk again, but cursed internally when she realized that she was out of ammo.

Banner suddenly began shrinking, as though he were reverting back to his regular human form, but he kept the symbiote on, thus being Carnage. Taking a look at Maria Hill, Carnage began advancing menacingly as he said, _**"Yeah, I think Deadpool had the right idea. Taking you down a peg or three million is going to be fun. There's nobody left to help you now. And by morning, we'll see exactly what you're made of. On your knees, bitch."**_

_BONUS MATERIAL!_

Mr. Fantastic would later lament that Deadpool had tried to help him, since the Sensation With The Registration would have 'accidentally' teleported a few feet in the air, and fell down in such a way that anyone looking in at that moment would've thought he was doing 69 with the Invisible Woman… made all the worse by Sue later considering inviting Deadpool for a threesome, evidently simply because of that event.

Hank Pym would go on to have similar regrets, because miraculously for the Scarlet Screwball, Deadpool landed on Janet Van Dyne the same way he had on Sue Richards. Except that the Wasp actually divorced Yellowjacket and married Deadpool, thus becoming Janet Van Dyne-Wilson. When the Invisible Woman did, in fact, extend that offer of a threesome to Wade, he brought Janet along, although Reed left for the Negative Zone immediately before.

Mr. Fantastic wound up getting divorced too, and since Sue Storm couldn't legally marry Deadpool, she simply entered a social contract and named him as Franklin's new uncle, alongside Johnny and Ben.

For totally unrelated reasons, Jean Grey did the same thing, which would later lead to Hope Summers crushing on Franklin Richards, and then their kids would have Deadpool for a grandpa. And when Thanos would attempt to destroy the Earth fifteen years after that, he would have to fight a trio of nigh-omnipotent hot-blooded sisters who each had a dash of Deadpool's insanity. The poor would-be cosmic conqueror became a bundle of nerves after that, spread the word, and the planet was safe from extra-_anything_ invasion for the next seventy-eight million years.


	2. A Fantastic Nightmare

Legacy of Slaughter

_Fantastic Nightmares_

**This chapter isn't QUITE as AU (in the premise) as the previous, and the universe should be a bit closer to Earth-616 than the last one, though the results are FAR more AU than anything the average Marvel fan might be familiar with. Today, we focus on Mister Fantastic. Or, "what if the world's greatest scientific mind merged with a modern incarnation of Jack the Ripper?"**

**Regarding the timeline, well, it doesn't really matter so long as Franklin's around while Toxin and Cletus Kasady aren't.**

**And yes, the first three paragraphs will be the same every single time, because each chapter is set in a slightly different universe, with Carnage's death as the jumping-off point.**

**Key:**

"**Exit light!" – symbiote-distorted speech (i.e. Venom, Carnage, etc.)**

_**Abso-freaking-lutely Fantastic**_

Above the Earth's atmosphere, as Sentry prepared to rip Carnage in two, the serial killer used up the remaining air collected by his symbiote as he said, **"Heh… You won't ever be rid of me, you know that? Even if you kill Cletus Kasady, I'll still be around to wreak chaos and carnage across the entire damned planet. If you want to kill me and make sure I stay killed, you'd better throw me into the damned sun!"**

Sentry, disgusted at the psychopath's monologue, commanded, "Shut the fuck up!"

And as the monstrous murderer was torn apart, he appeared to be laughing, as though he'd somehow been triumphant in death.

_**Legacy of Slaughter**_

Sue Richards was sleeping fitfully in her bed, when she felt a long, slimy tongue caress her neck and begin tracing its way down towards her navel. Waking up instantly, Sue instinctively created a force field between herself and the intruder, before rapidly expanding it, basically exploding the rapist to the other side of the room.

Flicking the light on with another force field, she found some kind of symbiote in her room. Knowing that she'd need help, she forced back the crimson intruder against the wall with an invisible barrier, before escaping the room as quickly as possible, thankful beyond belief that she'd slept in a pair of gym shorts and a tank-top.

As soon as she got to a control panel, she tried accessing the PA system to contact Johnny and Ben from there, but somehow, all of the passcodes had been changed, which meant she was locked out.

Running the next few feet over to Franklin's room, she was relieved to find him safe, though her abruptly opening the door woke him up. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up, Franklin asked, "Mom? What's wrong?"

Trying to keep herself under control as much as possible, Sue replied, "Franklin, there's an intruder in the house. I need you to run up to the lab and find your father, while I get Johnny and Ben."

Sue prepared to do just that, when her son asked, "But what if he isn't there? What if he's gone to the Negative Zone or something?"

Stopping cold, as that hadn't even occurred to her, Sue quickly thought for a second and answered, "Then call somebody else for help – Stark, Pym, Fury, Banner, I don't care, just somebody! Go. Now, Franklin!"

While the Invisible Woman didn't like shouting at her son, she appreciated that he snapped into full alertness the instant she raised her tone, and he set off towards the lab as directed.

Then, the door to her own room was torn apart, the symbiotic monster looking around for a second before he spied Susan and her son. Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, the Invisible Woman created a few dozen force bolts and tossed them at the scarlet monster, knocking it back a bit.

Looking over her shoulder, she found that Franklin stood there, horrified, and she had to shout again. "FRANKLIN! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

Snapping back to his senses, the first child of the Fantastic Four did as he was originally directed, running to the lab as quickly as his eight-year-old feet would carry him.

Turning to the matter at hand, the symbiote, whom she now recognized to be the serial killer Carnage, was picking himself up off the ground, when a harsh voice shouted, _"IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"_

And, true to form, the Thing came running full-tilt down the hallway, and nailed Carnage with a stiff right hook, putting everything he had behind the blow.

As the symbiote serial killer involuntarily flew down the corridor, Ben said, "I was in the weight room when I heard ya shoutin' at junior, Suzie. But back to the important part, what's this clown doin' here?"

Susan replied, "I don't know, but somehow he got into my room and was getting ready to _rape_ me. If you can hold this psychopath off for a minute, I'm going to get Johnny."

Just as the Invisible Woman got ready to move, her younger brother said, "No need, sis! Franklin woke me up on his way to get Reed."

Carnage got back to his feet, and the Human Torch said, "Nobody lays their hands on my sister that way! _FLAME - !_"

Before Johnny could finish his catchphrase, however, Carnage rapidly extended his arm – not a tendril, but his _arm_ – and shot it right past the Human Torch's head, halfway down the hall to a keypad on the wall, where the symbiote rapidly entered in a code. Within seconds, flame-retardant foam began spraying throughout the hallway, preventing the Human Torch from using his powers.

Upon seeing the shocked looks on the First Family's faces, Carnage smirked and said, **"Flame **_**off**_**, jackass. I know **_**all**_** about you and your pyrokinetic abilities. Did you really think I'd let you exploit my vulnerability to flame so easily?"**

Ben, becoming confused, said, "From the stories Web-head's always tellin' us, I don't think he's supposed to be that lucid."

Susan replied, "It doesn't matter. We've got to stop this bastard one way or another!"

To punctuate this declaration of intent, the she rendered herself invisible, preparing to move around and get Carnage with a force-blast from behind. However, just as she was about to strike, the symbiote entity lashed out with a tendril and stuck the Invisible Woman to the wall. **"I can't see you directly, but I still got eyes, darlin'. The foam **_**on**_** you might be invisible as well as you are, but I can still see where your feet make contact with the ground. Oh yes, and then there's my Spider-Sense, too."**

Ben Grimm shouted in anger and charged at his nemesis, but Carnage simply stood there. Once the Thing got some momentum, however, the symbiote latched onto his opponent's chest with some weblines and yanked him forward, before ducking, effectively tossing Ben into the wall much faster than the Thing had intended.

"**The foam was intended to just stop flame-brain, but it came with the pleasant bonus of compromising your ability to fight as well, Benji. Kinda hard for you to get any decent footing, isn't it?"**

And, just as Carnage taunted, the Thing found himself unable to get back to his feet in the slippery foam. Given his large mass, he simply wasn't able to get any significant traction.

Then, the monstrous murderer sensed Johnny freeing himself of the foam, and quickly turned around, determined to stop his greatest threat at the moment from acting. Carnage web-yanked the Human Torch towards him, before turning his hand into an axe and chopping through his opponent. **"I don't need you any more, hot-head."**

Turning his attention once more to the Thing, Carnage morphed his axe-arm into a chainsaw and started it up, gleefully saying, **"I can't believe I never thought of this earlier – if I was going to fix you, then I have to see what makes you tick. And the easiest way to do that is to take you apart. Carnage, M.D., has arrived, and it's time to operate! Open wide and say 'AH', **_**pal**_**."**

His chainsaw-arm being drastically sharper than any conventional tool, Carnage began cutting into the Thing, slowly beginning to saw through him, semi-liquid granite blood spraying across the walls and ceiling.

Susan tried to create a force field to protect Ben or blast Carnage away, but the symbiote ooze trapping her was absorbing whatever energy she tried to utilize.

On that floor, the Invisible Woman's screams echoed throughout the Baxter Building for a good five minutes, before she lost her voice. Coincidentally, that was about how long it took Carnage to kill the Thing.

Absorbing the life force of Ben Grimm, Carnage thought for a moment before snapping his fingers and saying, **"Ah yes, one more roadblock to take care of. Don't you move a muscle, darling. Frankie won't understand, he won't be reasonable. I'll have to put him on ice, but don't fret, Sue. If you want more kids later, we'll have all the time in the world."**

Upon hearing what Carnage had planned, the Invisible Woman was fueled with maternal rage, and began her struggling anew, her power seemingly amplified with her distress.

However, before she could manage to burst out of her restraints, the symbiote suddenly knocked her out, saying, **"Not yet, baby. Just lemme ice Junior real quick, and then we'll **_**talk**_**… if you know what I mean."**

_**Legacy of Slaughter**_

Franklin sat watching his father's final research log, horrified beyond belief, yet unable to look away.

"_Reed Richards, journal entry 35,324,352,341. I have located a dormant sample of organic matter not unlike the symbiotic organism that Spider-Man and I once researched together. Given the state of cellular decay, it appears that this particular organism is injured. I've recently learned that Eddie Brock, more commonly known by his costumed alias, Venom, has contracted stomach cancer due to exposure to his symbiote. But more importantly, however, is the knowledge that bonding to the symbiote in the first place nullified any ill effects caused by the cancer. In addition, I've gotten clearance to review the medical records of the recently deceased Cletus Kasady – again, more commonly known as the symbiotic serial killer, Carnage. These medical records indicate that bonding to a symbiote, again, caused stomach cancer, but any negative effects were negated._

"_After a series of conferences with the FDA, S.H.I.E.L.D., and a number of other agencies, I've received clearance to study the symbiote organisms and attempt to replicate their characteristics with the ultimate goal of developing a cure for cancer. I've asked Edward Brock to share his experience with me, but he declined._

"…_It's at times like this that I most regret the deep enmity that Victor von Doom harbors for me – his help and input would have been quite welcome, and the Doom I knew in college would've enjoyed working on this._

"_I've had this particular sample for three days now, and have completed all research possible with this specimen. At first, I had feared the organism dead, but cellular activity suggests that it's alive, merely dormant. In order to make further observations, I'm going to have to stimulate it. I am now preparing to inject adrenaline directly into the core in three… two… one."_

On the screen, Franklin watched his father use a syringe to do exactly as Reed had said he would. On the table, a small collection of dark red ooze began shifting, before it suddenly reacted violently and, before Mister Fantastic could react, the newly awakened symbiote… leapt from the table and grafted itself to Reed's arm, rapidly spreading until it covered over half of his body, Richards screaming in pain, falling out of the camera's view.

After a few seconds, though, he reappeared, his face evenly divided between the Reed Richards that Franklin knew to be his father… and the monster he'd seen fighting the rest of his family just minutes before.

Reed appeared to be struggling within as he said, _"Damnit… What was I thinking, attempting to reanimate the symbiote without protection? I can feel it taking over my mind – pure instinct: rage, lust, greed, and an impulse to destroy. But I have a feeling it's just this specimen – the project as originally intended is still plausible, but I won't be able to continue my research… Argh…_

"_Whoever's watching this, understand that I'm gradually losing this battle, and I won't be able to hold out forever. I don't know if I can be separated from the symbiote, but if I can't, then you __**must**__ be willing to kill me in order to protect everyone else. To beat me… in the psychopathic state I can feel dominating me… You'll need help. Get Pym, Stark, Banner… and Doom. Yes, focus on getting help from Doom more than anyone else. He's the one best equipped to stop me, and the one most motivated to do it._

"_And if you're watching this, Franklin… Then it may be too late. You may have to stop me yourself. I pray it doesn't come to this, but I know you're up to it. I know I'm your father, but you can't let that stop you – your mother and everyone else is in danger, if not worse. Just know that whatever happens, I'm proud of you, and I love you, Franklin. I know you'll do what's right."_

Franklin was horrified – his dad, completely on accident, had become the very monster that had tried to hurt his mom.

Just as the boy was about to send the video to the Avengers, the X-Men, and Doctor Doom (as per his father's instructions) an energy blast shattered the giant monitor, just half a dozen feet over Franklin's head.

Turning to look over his shoulder, terrified of what he'd find, Franklin found Carnage at the door to the lab, holding a massive gun that, after a moment, he recognized.

"**That look in your eyes, junior… You know what this is, don't you?"**

While afraid, Franklin did what he could not to voice it. "That's the Ultimate Nullifier, isn't it?"

"**Heh, not bad. You really are your father's son. Such a shame you won't be around to show the world just what you're capable of. Normally, I wouldn't dust off this baby for anything less than Mephisto, Galactus, or the like, but I'll make an exception in your case. After all – only the best for **_**my**_** kid."**

Tears welling up in his eyes, Franklin asked, "So you're the symbiote that took my dad away from me, and tried to hurt Mom?"

"**And killed Johnny and Ben, but you weren't there for that. Ah, well, the point is, you're too big a risk for me to let you go, squirt. I kinda wish it didn't have to be this way, but you're too powerful for my own good. Hasta la vista, baby."**

And just like that, Reed Richards – the new Carnage – fired the Ultimate Nullifier on his own son, and scored a direct hit, reducing the boy to less than ashes.

Then, twirling the massive gun in his hand a bit, Carnage said, **"And to think, all this bloodshed could've been avoided if Suzie-baby were a deeper sleeper."**

Then, a proverbial light bulb came on over Carnage's head, and he added, **"Haha, I just fired mah lazah."**

_**Legacy of Slaughter**_

The Invisible Woman woke up suspended mid-air, hanging from a series of weblines, arms in a "Y" position.

Opening her eyes, she found Carnage sitting mid-way up the wall on a BarcaLounger he'd constructed with webbing, legs crossed. **"Good evening there, hot stuff. I see you're finally up."**

Gritting her teeth, Sue said, "You bastard… You killed Ben… and my brother…"

Tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair, the symbiote added, **"And Frankie. I Ultimate Nullified his punk ass. And when I Ultimate Nullify somebody, they **_**stay**_** Ultimate Nullified. Oh yeah, and Reed isn't coming, either. The man you knew is forever gone."**

Eyes widening, Susan asked, "So then… you killed everybody? I'm the only one left?"

Thinking for a moment, Carnage replied, **"One could say that the Fantastic Four as you know it is extinct, barring yourself. On the other hand, one could also say that it's only been cut in half."**

Gripped with rage, Sue shouted, "If you're going to brag then just DO it, you monster!"

Carnage shot back, **"If you want to avenge your family, then just DO it, bitch! You know you've got the right stuff in there. C'mon, I murdered your little brother, your best friend, and your son, and from a certain point of view, I killed your hubbie as well. **_**Surely**_** you must hate me for such villainy? **_**Surely**_** you must be **_**FURIOUS**_**? Get your act together, woman, and USE THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE!"**

Something inside the Invisible Woman snapped, and her powers went into overdrive. First, she covered her hands in a microscopic force field, and then rapidly expanded it, bursting out of her restraints.

Sue delved deep into her subconscious, searching for the part of her that had been repressed and done away with for so long, before she found it, dug it up, _embraced_ it.

Malice.

Blasting Carnage with a sphere of telekinetic energy, Malice asked, "Anyone ever mention that you talk too much?"

Getting back to his feet and shaking the cobwebs from his brain, Carnage replied, **"Actually, Daddy dearest says that all the damn time. But more to the point, I just love what I see, Malice. You're **_**ten times**_** the woman you were a second ago – looks like the saying is true: evil **_**IS**_** sexy. But I'm going to make you **_**so**_** much MORE…."**

With that declaration, Carnage pressed a button on a wall keypad, causing an energy barrier to surround Malice, who then pounded against it with force bolts, but to no avail.

Then, Carnage began drawing the symbiote part of himself inside, revealing his human identity.

Sue-Malice shouted, "REED!"

Mister Fantastic replied, "Yes, Reed. I found a remnant of the Carnage symbiote and, accidentally, merged with it. And I now feel, if you'll excuse the pun, _**FANTASTIC**__!_ Thing is, Carnage laid an egg, producing a new symbiote. And I can't think of anyone I'd rather have it bond with than you, Malice. **C'mon darlin', COME TO PAPA!"**

As the sociopathic genius made this revelation, he teleported a sphere into the quarantine zone with Malice, before opening it. The white-and-blue ooze within stirred, before bonding with the Invisible Woman's depraved inner darkness.

Sue began convulsing as the infant symbiote spread over her body – but instead of Reed's torturous resistance, Malice was writhing in _pleasure_ at the new power flowing into her, before screaming a few minutes later, as if in the throes of a particularly violent orgasm.

The Carnage Fantastic shut down the quarantine field as he asked, **"How's it feel, Suzie-**_**baby**_**?"**

The new Malice panted for a few moments, symbiote providing a costume that left her stomach, thighs, and upper arms uncovered, provided a mask similar to Jessica Drew's, and which overall practically screamed 'sex goddess'. Still trying to catch her shallow breath, Sue eventually said in a husky voice, **"I think I've got a sweet tooth for sex, poison and pain, **_**hon**_**. And actually, I like the sound of that – **_**Poison**_**."**

Smirking sadistically, Carnage replied, **"I love the way you think, tall, dark, and sexy! Now then, where were we before all hell broke loose?"**

A sly grin on her face, Poison lazily raised a hand at her lover as if to push him to the floor, before she suddenly switched mental gears and created a force field separating his lungs from the bronchial tubes. As Carnage fell to the ground, choking, unable to restore his supply of oxygen, Sue explained, **"That's for killing Johnny and Franklin, you son of a bitch. I tend not to fuck around, particularly with people who murder my child and brother. And to be honest, you really should have known this already."**

Carnage, using the last gasp of air he had, whimpered, **"But Suze – power… freedom…"**

Rolling her eyes, Poison said, **"For that, **_**Daddy**_**, I actually am grateful, which is why I'm knocking you out before I burn your sorry ass. But hey, look on the bright side – you will continue to exist in my memories."**

In order to stop Carnage from attacking her, Sue had created another force field around his _entire_ body the instant he realized what was happening, so that now Mister Fantastic was as thoroughly trapped as the Invisible Woman had been just a few minutes before.

Once Carnage was fully unconscious, Poison went to a keypad and, armed with Reed's memories, input the code. **"What the hell? 866-5309? Well, I admit that nobody short of Deadpool would've ever guessed it, which **_**was**_** the point…"**

Then, withdrawing the symbiote into herself, Sue Storm transported her force field-ensared "father" to the Negative Zone portal, through which she took Carnage along with a few gallons of jet fuel and a bic lighter. Once there, she dumped liberal amounts of the accelerant on crimson symbiote, before setting it alight.

Watching as her unconscious ex-husband burned alive, Sue patiently waited until the embers had died down. Then, out of a desire to remove any doubt – reasonable or not – she went back to the Baxter Building, grabbed and grabbed her wedding present from Doctor Doom: a dozen thermonuclear warheads each with a 12-megaton yield. "And to think, I never thought I'd actually _use_ these. I'll have to send him a thank-you note later."

After setting a timer for forty-five seconds, the Invisible Woman gleefully shoved the nukes through the portal one at a time, shut down the interdimensional gate, and once the 45 seconds had expired, she smirked. "I guess it's true, what they say – there is _no_ kill like overkill."

Unsure of how she should proceed from this point, Sue exited through the front door – something she hadn't done in a long time. After taking a breath of fresh air, she was surprised how little she felt the deaths of her loved ones now.

'_**That was the old you that grieved. But you are not you anymore. You are **_**you**_**."**_

Looking to the sky, Sue asked, "Does that mean that if I love someone new, and I lose them, I just won't _care?_"

The mere concept struck her as horrifying in its own way.

"_**Nonsense. You don't grieve for Reed, Johnny, Franklin, and Ben because you are not just you. You are not the Invisible Woman, and you are not Malice, and you are not entirely Poison. You are a combination of all of these things. You are someone completely new. And this is a chance for you to start with a clean slate. Should you wish to start a new family, and should they be lost, you will grieve, because you are not the old you, you are the **_**new**_** you."**_

Exhaling a bit, Sue released all the tension in her muscles before saying, "I guess I understand. Maybe it's better this way."

Cracking her neck a bit, Sue donned the symbiote, becoming Poison. Then, she smirked as she said, **"Hey, I bet Peter's gonna be surprised to see me. Added bonus: he's pretty cute, too."**

_**Line break**_

**Well, there you go. Spent a long time working on this one – and on that note, it got harder to finish the longer it got. Given that I had the Carnage Fantastic as a complete monster rather than a very dark antihero like the Carna-Hulk, I couldn't bring myself to end the tale of this miniverse until **_**after**_** the darkest hour had passed, and the dawn was in sight.**

**As always, any commentary or input would be greatly appreciated.**


End file.
